The Cristal, Mar Hall

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

The manorial gothic splendour of the exclusive Mar Hall hotel dominates its riverfront location by the Erskine Bridge and is overlooked by the Kilpatrick Hills. Built originally in the mid-1800s, it housed the Erskine hospital for most of the 20th century and underwent a £15m refurbishment to reopen in 2004. The Cristal is the hotel's fine dining restaurant located in a luxurious wood-panelled room where the double height ceiling and oversized windows can create a Lilliputian effect on the diner – something that is accentuated at quiet times. Head chef Jim Kerr presents a menu that, like the house itself, seeks to retain classic influences while asserting its own personality. The signature halibut and sea bass sashimi starter sees soy and sesame introduce an Asian fusion note to the familiar west coast catch. Similarly, subtle artichoke and tangy orange accompaniments demonstrate that a rustic French-style duck confit can transcend its more earthy identity into a light winter salad. Mains, meanwhile, tend towards the preferences of the largely male business clientele with a nicely caramelised Angus beef fillet served on a rich oxtail and white bean stew or pan-seared calf's liver accompanied by a meaty morel risotto.

• High point: Dramatic setting on a grand scale
• Low point: A big space in which to create 'buzz'